Vending machine and the like



G. C. REITH, VENDING MACHINE AND THE LIKE.

APPLl'CfuT'OH FILED DEC. 14, I917.

Patented, J 111) 4, 19220 2 SHEETSSHEET I.

iAQLESL G. c. RE ITH. VENDING MACHINE AND THE LIK'E..

- APPLICATION FILED DEC. I4, I9I7. 1 4%} 831 u Patented July 41, 1922.,

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- entire srarasearanr castes.

GEORGE C. REITH OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO NATIONAL SALES MACHINE COMPANY, OF WORCEST, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

VENDING MACHINE AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented July ll, 19222.

Application filed Deeember 1, 1 917. Serial no. 207,035.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I GEORGE C. KEITH, a citizen of the United States, residing 'at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vending Machines and the'like, of which the follow-.

These objects, among others, I accomplishv by the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the novel features of my invention being pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawlngs, Figure 1 represents a side elevatlon of an inclined coin chute through which a coin is conducted to the vending machine.

Figure 2 represents the lower or rear end of the coin chute, having the movableparts in their normal position.

Figure 3 represents the lower or rear end of the coin chute with the movable parts rocked into the position assumed in clearing the track or chute for the passage of a coin.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of' the coin chute, a portion having been removed to disclose the mechanism for interposing a gate in the track of the coin.

Figure 5'is a detached perspective view of the gate whereby the passage of the coin through the chute is interrupted.

Figure 6 is a top view of the mechanism I for interposing a gate in the track of the coin.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the coin chute, showing the side opposite that represented in Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a sectional view on the broken line 8-8, Figure 1 Figure 9 is a sectional view on the broken lie 9- 9, Figure 1. I

is inclosed'by a flange Figure 10 is a sectional view on the broken line 1010, Figure 1, showing the gate 18 in position to impede the coin in its passage through the chute, and

Figure 11 is a similar sectional View t Figure 10, showing the gate removed from the track of the coin.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in the different figures.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes the front portion of the framework of the machine to which a concave plate or escutcheon 2 is attached, provided with a slot of suitable size to admit a coin therethrough into the inclined chute 3. The chute 3 consists of a plate 4 held in a substantiall vertical plane and having at its lower e ge a narrow flange 5 which forms the track for a' rollin coin in its passage through the chute.', uring the passage of the coin through the chute its upper edge 6 upon a rocking frame 7.

The rocking frame 7 carries at its up per end a cam shaped projection 8, normally extending into the path of the coin as it is inserted through the slot 9 into the chute. The pressure exerted upon the coin to crowd it past the cam shaped projection 8 serves to rock the frame 7 from the position shown in Figure 2 to that shown in Figure 3. The

frame 7 carries at its lower end a flange 10 which works'through a slot 11 in the plate 4. The frame.7 is held in its normal position, as represented in Figure 2, by means of a spring 12 inserted between the plate 4 and the frame 7, the movement of the frame 7, as actuated by the spring 12, being limited by the head of a screw 13 held in the plate 4 and extending through a slot in the frame 7. When the frame 7 is rocked by the passage of a coin past the cam shaped projection 8 from the position shown in Figure 2 to that shown in Figure 3, the flange 10 is moved over the flange 5 which forms the track for the coin.- Any extraneous material which may have been inserted through the slot 9 upon the 'track of the coin is pushed off by the movement of the flange 10. As soon as the coin passes the cam shaped projection 8, the frame 7 is swung back to its normal position by the tension of the spring 12,

thereby withdrawing the flange 10 from over the flange 5 and freeing the track for the passage of the coin. The upper end of the frame 7 is pivoted to the frame work of the chute by a pintle let, and the lower end of the frame 7 is pivoted by a pintle 15 to a bar 16 attached by a screw 17 to the lower end of the plate 4.

In order to impede the passage of a coin through the chute having a diameter less than the normal diameter of the coin required to operate the vending machine, I interpose in the path of a coin a swinging gate 18,pivoted by pintles 19,19 to the plate 4, the gate 18 being shown in perspective view in Figure 5. The upper part of the gate 18 extends over the plate 4 and is provided with an incline 2O interposed in the path of the coin. The gate is also provided with a shoulder 21, in front of which the free end of a pivoted lever 22 rests upon the gate, forming a latch 23. The contact of the shoulder 21 with the latch 23 prevents the rearward swinging movement of the gate which is so suspended upon its pintles that gravity, when the latch is removed from the shoulder 21, will swing the gate in the direction of the arrow 24 and withdraw the gate from the path of the coin. The lever 22 is pivoted at 25 and it extends into the path of the coin, as shown in Figure 4. As the coin rolls beneath the lever 22, the latch 23 is raised to release the shoulder 21 and allow the gate 18 to swing by gravity to withdraw its free end from the path of the coin. As the coin passes the gate 18, it rolls beneath the incline 20, which positively rocks the gate 18 to throw its free'end again into the path of the coin when it is locked by the latch 23. If the coin is of less than the required diameter, it will fail to lift the lever 22 as it passes beneath it and the gate 18 will remain in locked position, with its free end interposed into the path of the coin, as represented in Figure 2. The coin impeded by the gate 18 will be thrown off the flange 5 by the inclined side ofthe gate and fall into a receptacle prepared for re jected coins, not shown. The lifting of the lever 22 unlatches the swinging gate 18 and allows it to be Withdrawn by gravity from the path of the coin. lrVhen the coin passes beneath the incline 20, it rocks the gate by a positive movement to bring its free end again into the path of the coin. If, for any reason, the coin should fail to restore the free end of the gate 18 to its locking position in the path of the coin, its restoration will be effected by the insertion .of a succeeding coin into the chute. As a coin is pushed against the cam shaped projection 8, the frame 7 will be rocked and the gate 18 will be swung forward by the swinging movement of the flange 10 striking against the rear side of the gate. The flange 10 is into said chute, agate occupying normally an out-of-the-way position with relation to said track but movable to occupy an engaging position in the path of a coin moving.

over said track, and means for locking said gatein its engaging position whereby the gate may be released to occupy its out-ofthe-way position by the approach to the gate of a coin of predetermined diameter, said movable member and gate being arranged whereby the gate may be moved into its engaging position by the operation of said 'movable member for clearing said track. I v

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a track for supporting a coin, a gate pivotally suspended above the track to swing by gravity out of the path of the coin, means for positively swinging the gate into the path of the coin by the movement of a coin over said track, and means for releasably maintaining the gate in the path of the coin whereby the gate may be released by a coin of predetermined diameter. I

3. In an apparatus of the type specified, a track for a coin, a gate movable inte a position transverse the track or into an outof-the-way position with relation thereto, means for mounting the gate to assume normally an out-of-the-way position with relation to the track, means whereby thegate may be moved into a position transverse the track by a coin passing over said track, and means for releasably locking the gate when in position transverse the track whereby the gate may be released into its normal out-ofthe-way position by a coin of predetermined diameter passing along said track.

a. In an apparatus of the type specified, a track for the coin, a gate movable into a position transverse the track or into an outof-the-way position with relation thereto,

for supporting the bottom edge of the coin I and on which the-coin runs, a plate for laterally supporting one side of the coin, a guide for the top edge of the coin, agate movable through said side plate into an engaging position transverse the bottom plate and path of the coin or into a disengaging position with relation thereto, means for mounting the gate to assume normally a disengaging position, means whereby the gate may be moved into its engaging position by a coin passing'along said chute, and means for maintaining the gate in its engaging position, said last-named means being releasable to release the gate into its disengaging posi- 1 tion by a coin of predetermined diameter passing along said chute.

w 6. Inan apparatus of the class described, a track for supporting a coin, a gate movable 1 by gravity outof the path of the coin, means for moving the gate positively into the path of a coin, and means for locking the gate in its position in the path of the coin, said last-named means being releasable for releasing the gate by the approach to the gate of-a coin of a predetermined diameter.

GEORGE C. REITH. 

